The present invention is directed to protective helmets or head guards, and more particularly to a protective helmet for active use by a player in a sports activity, such as soccer and the like.
Various head guards, helmets and the like are currently available for use in different sports activities. In this regard, helmets for bicycling, rollerblading, skateboarding, baseball, football, hockey, etc., are now considered standard essential equipment for use by players. In fact, many municipalities now require helmets for many of these and other sports activities. The overwhelming concern for requiring the use of a protective helmet or head guard is, of course, the protection of a player's head in an effort to prevent head injuries which, in some instances, could prove to be fatal, if a proper head guard or helmet is not worn by the player.
Generally, the design and construction of a particular helmet is dictated by the nature of the activity and the level of aggressiveness typically used by the players in that activity. Accordingly, a variety of helmet designs have been proposed in the art for use in different activities; and, since most sports do not allow the active use of a head gear, the overriding concern in the design and construction of helmets is the player's head injuries.
The game of soccer, however, is different in that soccer players use the headgear or helmet actively to pass or deflect a ball, a technique commonly referred to as "heading" the ball. In heading the ball, soccer players often use their foreheads. Although the soccer players are permitted to use their heads in heading the ball, the players generally do not wear any type of protective helmet. In this connection, numerous medical studies have shown that head injuries are quite prevalent in soccer, and have further demonstrated two primary concerns. First, head-to-head, head-to-ground, or head-to-goalpost impacts may produce acute head injuries, such as concussions. In fact, recent studies have shown that second or third head injuries within a day or so, may produce serious injury, disability or even death, specially in pediatric cases. Second, repeated heading of the ball has been shown to cause micro-traumas, which accumulate over time. These injuries may also lead to brain atrophy and have been shown to lower the IQ of a player who frequently heads a ball.
The use of a protective helmet, such as those commonly used in, for example, bicycling, football, or boxing, would be an obvious choice to protect soccer players from suffering head injuries as a result of heading, or those injuries which normally occur during a play. The benefits provided by the helmets used in various other activities may arguably provide similar benefits to a soccer player. However, there are unique challenges associated with the design and construction of a soccer headgear, particularly in view of the permitted heading technique. For instance, a hard helmet, such as the one used in bicycling or football, would give the player an unfair advantage while heading the ball, in that the ball would bounce-off the helmet with too great a velocity. Moreover, these types of helmets are extremely hard and could hurt another player not wearing a similar type of protective headgear. Soft helmets, such as those used in boxing, would give the player a competitive disadvantage in that the ball would not bounce-off the head with sufficient velocity. In other words, a protective helmet for soccer must be hard enough to bounce-off a soccer ball with sufficient velocity on the one hand, and protect the players from suffering other game-related injuries, on the other hand.
Various examples of head guards are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,907,709; 3,627,322; 4,279,037; 4,698,852; 4,947,488; Des. 366,348; and French 2,390,116. These head guards do not, however, provide protection to the overall head region of a player while allowing heading of a ball during a play.